School Profile · Hanford
Pioneer Middle: This school runs ahead of the state average. The bar itself is the harder conversation.
Pioneer posts 44% meeting the standard against 39% statewide — ahead of most, with real headroom above the bar.
101 West Pioneer Way, 93230 (opens in new tab)·Pioneer Union Elementary·Hanford·Grades 6-8·550 students·45% low-income·Charter·2024–25 CAASPP·(559) 584-0112·Website
Charter school — publicly funded, independently operated, open enrollment via lottery. Learn more
Scope Score
38
🌱 Building Momentum · Developing
ranked #1,096 statewide
Pioneer Middle scores 38 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 51st percentile of 2,238 California middle schools (CDE CAASPP 2025).
Measures test performance, attendance, and climate — not arts, community, or your kid. How we score →
Most rating sites would stop at “44% proficient” and call it done. Pioneer deserves a closer read. The school sits in Hanford, where two in five students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.
As a charter, Pioneer enrolls by application, not address — the score reads the same, the enrollment path doesn't.
The story this school is actually telling
The school, grade by grade
ELA · CAASPP 2024–25Different students, same year — each bar is one grade's proficiency mix.
24%
36%
40%
Grade 6 · 60% proficient
25%
33%
42%
Grade 7 · 58% proficient
14%
37%
49%
Grade 8 · 51% proficient
The honest read: the share exceeding falls 10.6pp across grades; the floor slips 10.1pp. The state average falls 0.5pp over the same span. A school visit and conversation with teachers will tell you more than this number.
The 5 things our score weighs
Exceeded standard
17.0%
State 16.8%
0.2pp above state avg
Met or exceeded
44.1%
State 39.3%
4.8pp above state avg
Growth (G6→G8)
-9.3pp
State +1.5pp
Scores decline across grades
Chronic absenteeism
11.3%
State 18.5%
7.2pp below state avg
Suspension rate
6.1%
State 3.7%
2.5pp above state avg
Worth a school visit
Ask how the school challenges kids who clear the standard early. The gap between meeting and exceeding is where pacing shows.
Where the path goes
The path below follows attendance boundaries — scores shown for each next step.
K-12 Feeder Path
Elementary
Also serves area
▼
High School
No feeder data available for this level
Estimated path based on proximity within the same district. Contact your school district for official feeder information.
Your other options
Nearby Elementary Schools
3 within ~3 mi · avg 57
Kings River-Hardwick Elementary
Kings River-Hardwick Union Elementary · 2.2 mi
Solid
65/100
Jefferson Academy
Hanford Elementary · 2.3 mi
Solid
57/100
Lee Richmond Elementary
Hanford Elementary · 2.2 mi
Developing
49/100
Nearby High Schools
2 within ~3 mi · avg 33
Hanford High
Hanford Joint Union High · 1.9 mi
Developing
45/100
Earl F. Johnson High (Continuation)
Hanford Joint Union High · 2.3 mi
Needs Support
21/100
Private alternatives nearby
Private schools within ~10 miles. These schools do not participate in state testing and cannot be scored or ranked.
The community around it
Community Profile
Context — not part of the Scope ScoreStudent demographics
Hispanic58.5%
White26.9%
Asian3.3%
Black4.2%
Other7.1%
GenderFemale 51.5%Male 48.5%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 45.1% (19pp below CA avg)
Resources & Access
Enrollment
550
310 below CA avg (~860)
Student-Teacher Ratio
23:1
2 more students per teacher than CA avg
Per-Pupil Spending
$13,685
District avg: $21,115 · CA avg: $14,815 · School-level · CDE ESSA
Teacher Salary Range
$60,475 – $117,550
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
At Pioneer Middle in Hanford, 42.4% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 46.1% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Pioneer Middle trails its district average for low-income students by 3.7 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (18.5% Math proficient); Hispanic students (48.4% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 42.9 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 255 students tested.
Equity Gaps
Absenteeism · English Learner+5.8pp
17.1% vs 11.3% overall · n=41
Suspension · Black+5.9pp
12.0% vs 6.1% overall · n=25
ELA · English Learner−42.9pp
13.3% vs 56.2% overall · n=15
3 more gaps by subject
ELA Exceeded · English Learner−20.9pp
0.0% vs 20.9% overall · n=15
Math · Disabilities−26.3pp
5.6% vs 31.9% overall · n=55
Math Exceeded · English Learner−12.9pp
0.0% vs 12.9% overall · n=15
Subgroups with fewer than 15 students are excluded for privacy. Gaps of less than 3 percentage points are not shown.
Subgroup Proficiency
Low-Income255 tested
ELA 42.4%·Math 18.5%· -3.7pp vs district
Hispanic322 tested
ELA 48.4%·Math 28.6%· -2.2pp vs district
White140 tested
ELA 68.6%·Math 40.5%· -0.4pp vs district
Weighted average across tested grades. Subgroups with fewer than 15 students excluded. Data: CDE CAASPP 2024-25.
Subgroup Growth by Grade
Change in proficiency from lowest tested grade. Shows which groups are gaining ground.
Low-income student ELA proficiency falls by 9.0pp from grade 6 to grade 8 at this school. District average: -9.0pp.
Subgroups with fewer than 10 tested students per grade are not shown.
Funding Breakdown
Neighborhood Context
Median Income
$76K
$9K below CA median
Median Home Value
$345K
$314K below CA median
Bachelor's+
17%
18pp below CA avg
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2024) · ZIP-level
Whole Child
Teacher experience, college/career readiness, and more. Context only — never part of the Scope Score.
Teacher Experience
14.0 years avg experience
25 teachers · 8% first-year
Teacher Credentials
82% fully credentialed
Source: CDE SARC, 2024-25
Community Profile provides context about who attends this school and the resources available. These factors are never part of the Scope Score. Learn why →
For the data nerdsEvery number on this page
Score factors, grade-level breakdowns, subgroup proficiency, and peer comparisons.
For the data nerds
Every number on this page
Score factors, grade-level breakdowns, subgroup proficiency, and peer comparisons.
01Score factorsWeighted composite · 2024–25
Exceeded standard · 43%
17.0%
↑ vs CA 16.8% · 50th pctile
Met or exceeded · 22%
44.1%
↑ vs CA 39.3% · 54th pctile
Growth (G6→G8) · 15%
-9.3pp
↓ vs CA +1.5pp · 31th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 10%
11.3%
↑ vs CA 18.5% · 60th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
6.1%
↓ vs CA 3.7% · 40th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
| ELA | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 6 | 169 | 24% | 36% | 20% | 20% | 60% | +14 |
| Grade 7 | 170 | 25% | 33% | 23% | 19% | 58% | +11 |
| Grade 8 | 205 | 14% | 37% | 30% | 20% | 50% | +4 |
| Math | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 6 | 170 | 12% | 24% | 31% | 34% | 36% | +1 |
| Grade 7 | 169 | 15% | 17% | 33% | 35% | 33% | −1 |
| Grade 8 | 204 | 12% | 16% | 26% | 46% | 27% | −5 |
| Science (CAST) | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5/8/11 | 204 | 8% | 14% | 61% | 17% |
CAST is tested in grades 5, 8, and once in high school — not annually. Not part of the Scope Score.
| Subgroup · ELA | Tested | MET+ | vs district | vs CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Socioeconomically Disadvantaged | 255 | 42.4% | −4 | +4 |
| Hispanic/Latino | 322 | 48.4% | −2 | +10 |
| White | 140 | 68.6% | −0 | +7 |
03Peer comparison · nearest middle schoolssorted by Scope Score
| School | Dist | Scope | EXC | MET+ | Growth | Susp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pioneer Middle ← | — | 38 | 17.0% | 44.1% | −9.3 | 6.1% |
| California average | — | 40 | 16.8% | 39.3% | +1.5 | 3.7% |
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Scope Score history
2019 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · no testing 2020–21 (COVID) · rank #738 → #931 → #693 → #732 → #1096
Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=2,238 middle schools · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue
Frequently asked questions
Is Pioneer Middle a good middle school?
Pioneer Middle has a Scope Score of 38 out of 100, placing it in the 51st percentile of California middle schools and ranked #1,096 statewide. 17.0% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is near the California average of 16.8%. The Scope Score weights six dimensions for middle schools: exceeded standard (43%), met or exceeded (22%), grade 3-to-5 growth (15%), chronic absenteeism (10%), ELPAC English Learner proficiency (5%), and suspension rate (5%). Data source: California Department of Education CAASPP 2025, analyzed by SchoolScope.
What are Pioneer Middle's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 44.1% of students at Pioneer Middle met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 17.0% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 27.1% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 17.0% pushed past it. Most rating sites report only the combined "proficient" number. SchoolScope surfaces the exceeded-vs-met split because it reveals whether a school's curriculum challenges students beyond minimum proficiency or paces toward it. 1,087 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does Pioneer Middle rank in California?
Pioneer Middle ranks #1,096 among California middle schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 51st percentile. This ranking is based on a weighted composite of 2025 CAASPP test performance (exceeded and met rates), grade-level growth (Grade 6 to grade 8 growth), chronic absenteeism, and suspension rate. Unlike single-number ratings, the Scope Score shows what drives the ranking so parents can decide what matters most to their family. See full methodology.
Is Pioneer Middle getting better or worse?
Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Pioneer Middle decreases by 9.3 percentage points from Grade 6 to grade 8 growth. This downward pattern doesn't necessarily mean the school is failing — it can reflect cohort differences, demographic shifts, or curriculum changes. A campus visit and conversation with teachers can reveal what the numbers can't. Growth trajectory is weighted at 15% in the middle Scope Score because it measures what the school does, not just who walks in the door.
What is the attendance and school culture like at Pioneer Middle?
11.3% of students at Pioneer Middle are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), which is better than the California average of 18.5%. The suspension rate is 6.1%. SchoolScope includes these culture metrics in the Scope Score because they reflect day-to-day school experience in ways test scores alone cannot.
How does Pioneer Middle compare to other schools in Hanford?
Pioneer Middle scores 38/100 (51st percentile) among California middle schools. To compare with nearby schools, SchoolScope shows the same metrics side by side: exceeded rate, proficiency, growth trajectory, and school culture indicators. The school serves 550 students. Use the schools in Hanford page or the map view to compare all middle schools nearby.
How does Pioneer Middle serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At Pioneer Middle in Hanford, 42.4% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 46.1% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Pioneer Middle trails its district average for low-income students by 3.7 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (18.5% Math proficient); Hispanic students (48.4% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 42.9 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 255 students tested. SchoolScope shows disaggregated test scores by demographic subgroup so you can see how a school performs for your child's specific group — not just the school-wide average. Subgroup data is context, not part of the Scope Score: we don't penalize schools for who they serve. See our equity approach.